Prevailing Wage for Bartenders
Prevailing wage requirements for Bartenders, including positions titled Banquet Bartender or Bar Captain, are set by the DOL using Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey data. DOL establishes four experience levels, each with its own wage floor, and those floors shift considerably depending on which U.S. city the worksite is in.
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Entry-level bartenders with limited professional experience, typically working under close supervision in straightforward bar settings. DOL expects minimal independent judgment at this level, making it appropriate for candidates new to U.S. food-and-beverage environments.
Bartenders with some demonstrated professional experience who work with moderate supervision. Level 2 is the most common filing level for sponsored bartending roles, reflecting positions where candidates handle standard service expectations with growing independence.
Experienced bartenders who work largely independently, handle complex service situations, and may informally guide junior staff. DOL associates this level with specialized beverage knowledge and consistent performance across high-volume or diverse service environments.
Fully competent bartenders in senior or lead roles, including head bartender or bar manager-adjacent positions. DOL expects this level to involve advanced expertise, significant autonomy, and responsibility for beverage programs, training, or outlet-wide standards.
Prevailing Wage for Bartenders by OES area
Each shape is a DOL OES area, the unit prevailing wage is published for.
What’s an OES area?
The Department of Labor publishes prevailing wages for geographic zones called OES areas. Every U.S. county belongs to exactly one, and the wage floor applies across the whole area. A worker in Oakland gets the San Francisco metro wage, not a separate Oakland wage.
Top 10 cities · Level 1
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See which U.S. employers are actively hiring for Bartenders and sponsoring H-1B, OPT, and green card visas at or above the prevailing wage.
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Watch how tipped-wage structures affect your floor
Many bartending offers include expected tip income alongside a base wage. DOL prevailing wage compliance is measured against base pay only; tip projections cannot be counted toward meeting the required wage floor for a sponsored position.
Compare your title to the filed SOC code
Titles like Mixologist or Bar Captain are sometimes filed under food-service supervisor SOC codes rather than SOC 35-3011, which carries a different prevailing wage. Confirm your offer letter title matches the SOC your employer actually used on the LCA.
Check wage spread between your city and Puerto Rico markets
The gap between the highest and lowest prevailing wage metros for this occupation is substantial. Honolulu and New York floors sit well above Puerto Rico markets like Aguadilla or Arecibo, so worksite location has an outsized effect on your minimum offer benchmark.
Use Migrate Mate to find employers that have sponsored bartenders
Sponsorship of bartending roles is uncommon, so employer history matters. Migrate Mate shows which companies have actually sponsored this occupation before, letting you target outreach toward venues and hotel groups with a proven track record.
Jobs for Bartenders are hiring across the US. Find yours.
Find Jobs for BartendersPrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 35-3011.00 alongside Bartenders, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Banquet Bartender Prevailing Wage
Banquet Bartender Prevailing Wage
Banquet Bartender positions fall under SOC 35-3011.00 (Bartenders). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Bar Captain Prevailing Wage
Bar Captain Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Bar Captain for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 35-3011.00 (Bartenders). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Mixologist Prevailing Wage
Mixologist Prevailing Wage
Mixologist is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 35-3011.00 (Bartenders). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does DOL set the prevailing wage for Bartenders?
DOL derives prevailing wages for Bartenders from the Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, which surveys employer-reported wages across metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas. OFLC then assigns four wage levels based on experience, supervision, and complexity. Employers must pay at least the level that matches the actual job duties described in the Labor Condition Application.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I know which one applies to my offer?
Level 1 covers entry-level work under close supervision. Level 2 reflects qualified bartenders with moderate independence and is the most frequently filed level for this occupation. Level 3 applies to experienced professionals working largely autonomously. Level 4 is reserved for senior or lead roles with advanced responsibility. Match the level to the actual duties, supervision structure, and experience requirements stated in the job offer, not just the title.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same bartending role vary so much by city?
OFLC calculates wages from regional Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics surveys, which capture local labor market conditions. High cost-of-living metros like Honolulu and New York produce substantially higher survey wage medians than lower-wage markets. The LCA must list the actual worksite address, so the prevailing wage is determined by where you physically work, not where the employer is headquartered.
What happens if an employer offers a wage below the prevailing wage for a sponsored bartending position?
DOL will not certify a Labor Condition Application that falls below the applicable prevailing wage. Without a certified LCA, USCIS cannot approve the H-1B or other sponsored visa petition. If an underpayment is discovered after approval, the employer faces back-wage liability and potential debarment from future sponsorship filings. The prevailing wage floor is a hard legal minimum, not a negotiating reference point.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for a specific Bartenders posting in a particular U.S. city?
Use the OFLC Wage Search to look up SOC 35-3011 wages by metropolitan area and wage level. Select the relevant metro to see the current L1 through L4 floors for that worksite. For checking which employers have actually sponsored bartending roles before beginning your search, Migrate Mate filters by occupation and shows historical sponsorship counts by company and location.
See which employers are hiring and sponsoring visas for Bartenders right now.
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